When it comes to choosing a baby shower gift, it's very easy to get tempted by all those cute little outfits that are often completely impractical. If you want to give the expectant mother (or yourself!) a very useful and practical gift, why not buy a changing table. These are fabulous pieces of furniture that are wonderful for a new mum's back and help preserve your own mattress from destruction.

I was given a changing table prior to the birth of my first child, and just took it for granted. It wasn't until I went on holidays for a few days and was without it, that I realised just how wonderful it really was. My husband had suggested we hire one or perhaps even buy a collapsible one to take on holidays with us, but I foolishly said that it was only for four days and I would just use the bed where we were staying.

It didn't even take a day before I was thoroughly regretting that decision. I hadn't realised just how often I used the changing table, and I hadn't thought about just how uncomfortable it would be to go without it. The first thing I noticed was that I missed the convenient height of the changing table. Mine was perfect, I could change baby's diaper without having to bend over at all, unless I wanted to give baby a kiss or cuddle.

By the time I'd changed two diapers using a mat on the floor, my back was already starting to tell me just how much it missed the convenient height of the changing table. I shifted to the bed, which helped my back a little (and my knees!) but I still had to bend over and my back kept complaining. By the fifth change I was having trouble straightening up again - a problem I'd never had using my changing table.

The other thing I hadn't really thought about was how handy the changing table is as a storage unit. All my frequently used items were right on hand, and anything else that might be needed was neatly tucked in the cupboards underneath. Mind also contains some drawers with all the basic baby clothing in it, so I don't have to move away from the changing table at all while changing a diaper. It's amazing how quickly all those containers get mixed up and lost in your diaper bag.

Finally I gave up and handed baby changing duties over to my husband, while my back straightened itself out again. Once I was fine we alternated doing the changes. I was extremely glad to get home again! Every day from then on I thanked my lucky stars that someone was kind enough to give me a changing table when I was expecting. Nowadays it's gone through two babies and is used simply for clothes storage, which shows that if you think ahead when you choose a changing table, it can be an important piece of furniture in your house for many years to come.